Bhavnagar | November 17, 2025

A shocking crime has come to light in Bhavnagar, where a forest officer has been arrested for allegedly killing his wife and two children and burying their bodies in a pit close to his official residence. What began as a report of a missing family soon turned into a heartbreaking and disturbing murder investigation.

Police say Shailesh Khambhla, 39, an Assistant Conservator of Forests, was taken into custody after the bodies of his wife Nayana and their two children were recovered from a six-foot trench behind his home in the Forest Colony area. Initial evidence suggests the family was smothered with a pillow before being hidden in the pit. Officers believe the crime was driven by ongoing tensions in the marriage, particularly disagreements over where the family should live.

Khambhla had first approached police on November 5, claiming his wife had left the house with the children while he was at work. But investigators quickly noticed gaps in his story and a surprising lack of concern. His explanation that a security guard saw them leave in an auto rickshaw also fell apart when the guard denied it.

As police dug deeper, they uncovered a troubling detail: Khambhla had asked a junior officer, RFO Girish Vania, to dig pits behind his quarter, pretending it was for disposing of garbage. Days later, he instructed Vania to have the pits filled, claiming a nilgai had fallen in. This raised suspicions, and on November 16, police searched the pits in the presence of forensic experts and found the three bodies.

Faced with the evidence, Khambhla admitted to committing the murders and attempting to destroy proof of his actions. Police say the killings were planned well in advance, with the officer using his position to manipulate staff into helping him create the burial site without realising it.

Investigators revealed that Nayana had been living in Surat with her in-laws but visited Bhavnagar with the children during the Diwali break. She had reportedly been urging her husband to live together as a family in Bhavnagar, a request he resisted. Frequent arguments over this issue appear to have escalated into the tragic crime.

The case has left the community shaken, as police continue to piece together the events leading up to the murders and prepare charges of murder and destruction of evidence against the officer.

 Gujarat Forest Officer Arrested After Family Found Buried Near His Home

Sometimes the most horrifying stories are the ones that unfold quietly, behind closed doors. This case from Bhavnagar is exactly that—a chilling reminder of how deep-rooted tensions can turn into something unthinkable. A forest officer, trusted with protecting nature, is now accused of taking the lives of those closest to him. The discovery of his wife and two children buried near his own home has shaken not just the city, but everyone who has followed the case.

This incident forces us to confront uncomfortable truths about hidden conflicts, the pressure of expectations, and the cracks that can grow in a family when communication breaks down. It also highlights the importance of vigilance—how a single inconsistency in a story can uncover an entire crime.

The case is still under investigation, but one thing is clear: tragedies like this don’t appear out of nowhere. They build silently over time, until they explode into something irreversible. Let this be a reminder that listening, noticing, and supporting the people around us matters more than we think. Silence can be dangerous. And sometimes, asking one more question can save a life.